Monday, July 22, 2013

This was an easy bag whose base is worked in the round increasing for several rounds and then 25 rows of single crochets. It used almost 400 yards of yarn. I have several large skeins of cotton yarn that I am finally putting to good use! This will make a great project bag!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Summary: Chessa's husband, Darren Richards, is a behind-the-scenes narcissistic abusive alcoholic. None of that changes when he becomes the leading candidate for President of the United States. Chessa's worries about her husband reach a fevered pitch as he closes in on winning the nation's highest office. How can she support his candidacy, even if it will mean becoming First Lady? Meanwhile, Darren's opponent, Leif Mitchell, is selected from his humble life as a stable hand and country rock singer to run for political office. His charm and leadership pave the way for him to become a national hero and a real threat as the leading Republican presidential candidate. A powerful Darren will stop at nothing to bring Leif down, causing Leif to reconsider his "high road" approach to politics. When Chessa finds out Leif is preparing to seek revenge on Darren in an attack that will not only destroy her husband's candidacy, but will probably cost other innocent lives as well, she is suddenly faced with a decision: Should she preserve peace at all costs, protecting those who would become collateral damage as a result of the ensuing battle - and in default, her husband--in turn sacrificing her freedom and risking her own life? Should she try to stop Leif, which may ruin his chances but save his soul? The Peace Maker is based on the story of David and Abigail in the Bible's First Book of Samuel - a story of hardship, struggle, courage and faith that God will lead his people if they but let Him.

Chessa Richards is the wife of a New York senator who is running for President of the United States. Her marriage is anything but perfect but with it being so much in the public eye, she does her best to cope with it. Leif Mitchell is a young governor of Kentucky who is running against Senator Richards for the candidacy. When the race starts getting close, the candidates will do anything to guarantee the win. Will they make the right choices? At what stakes will they stop?

This was a quick paced and hard to put down book with a couple of good twists. I really enjoyed the characters of Chessa and Leif and watching them develop before, during and after the campaign for presidency. There was a little bit of politics in the story but if you've watched any shows or movies about it, it is easy to follow. I am looking forwardto finding more books like this one to read in the future.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Summary: Having completed his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father's knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past. But small towns leave little room for secrets...

Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she steels herself against the attraction he provokes. His halting speech and hesitant manner leave her doubting his intelligence. Yet as the mysteries of the town's new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.

Levi's renewed commitment to his faith leads Eden to believe she's finally found a man of honor and integrity, a man worthy of her love. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian's affections?

Levi Grant comes to Spencer, Texas to start his life over while forgetting his past. He rents a building to work as the town's blacksmith and builds himself a positive reputation. Eden Spencer is the daughter of the town's founder and one of the most elite families in the community. Levi and Eden are from two different worlds but their love of books brings them together.

Will the friendship between Eden and Levi develop into something more? Will Levi tell Eden about his past? If so, how will she react?

This was a great story about friendship and forgiveness. These characters had such depth that you could not help but fall in love with both of them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I read it as my selection for my neighborhood book club. The group enjoyed it as well.

As a surprise for the club, I had arranged to Skype with the author, Karen Witemeyer, last night to talk about it. I met Karen through the online reading community called GoodReads. I messaged her to ask if she would be available on this day and she graciously accepted. Karen was a wonderful part of our discussion. We learned where she gets her ideas for books, some of her favorite classic and contemporary books and her thoughts behind most of the characters, including Onery, the dog! We talked to her for about 45 minutes and everyone enjoyed themselves. After we ended the call, the group thanked me for putting in the effort to make this the best book club meeting yet. Thank you Karen for making this month's meeting a memorable one!

Friday, July 5, 2013

This is the same bag that I made in this post. This time I made a larger base, made it taller (since I had plenty of yarn and made a built in handle. Here are the details of my changes:

I began by chaining 31 for 20 rows. Then I did 45 rounds for the sides of the bag before making the handle. For the handle, I did 19 sc, then ch 12, then skip 12 sts and do 19 sc to finish off one side. Repeat for other side. I did 3 more rows of sc before finishing it off with a row of white sc.

I love the size of this bag. It is holding 9 cakes of yarn and a bag with hooks and some patterns. I love it!

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